Jay-Z's Roc Nation has written an open letter to Georgia officials, signed by the rapper, Alicia Keys, Yo Gotti and Meek Mill, demandi...
Jay-Z's Roc Nation has written an open letter to Georgia officials, signed by the rapper, Alicia Keys, Yo Gotti and Meek Mill, demanding swift justice for Ahmaud Arbery.
It also seeks the arrest of the neighbor who filmed the killing of the unarmed black jogger, after he was shot while running through Brunswick in February.
The letter said District Attorney Tom Durden should be recused from the case due to a conflict of interest since Gregory McMichael, one of the two white men charged with murder, was a former police officer.
And it also urges state Attorney General Christopher Carr to instead appoint a special prosecutor to help achieve a fair trial.
Arbery's dad Marcus on Saturday said his son was 'hunted like an animal'.
His comments came after additional video footage shows a man believed to be Arbery entering into the garage of a property under construction.
Marcus told WSB-TV: 'If he committed a crime, why don't you call the authorities. But you came at him like you were hunting an animal.'
The original cell phone footage was taken by William 'Roddie' Bryan, a neighbor of the McMichaels. His attorney told Weekend TODAY that his client 'is not and never has been a vigilante'.
Arbery's death has sparked nationwide outrage. A rally for the slain jogger was held Friday - the day he would have celebrated his 26th birthday
Jay-Z's Roc Nation has written an open letter to Georgia officials, signed by the rapper, left, Alicia Keys, right, Yo Gotti and Meek Mill, demanding swift justice for Ahmaud Arbery
The letter said District Attorney Tom Durden should be recused from the case due for a conflict of interest since Gregory McMichael, one of the two white men charged with murder, was a former police officer. And it also urges state Attorney General Christopher Carr to instead appoint a special prosecutor to help achieve a fair trial
'We are all Ahmaud Arbery,' rapper Yo Gotti said in a statement.
'Everyday activities should not end in death sentences. We must hold people responsible for their actions. Ahmaud Arbery was unarmed and innocent and his killers must be brought to justice.'
The letter, addressed to Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, state Attorney General Chris Carr and the current prosecutor, Tom Durden, states: 'By now we have all seen the crime's disturbing video, so the facts here are not in doubt.
'He was unarmed and innocent and the victim of a hate crime.'
'As a society we can no longer pretend that the racial inequities, which exist in every facet of our lives, don't invariably lead down the path to poverty, violence and death.
'To even think about breaking this cycle we need you to protect the process and preserve the fairness of the trial.
'Ahmaud was a loving son, a brother and a positive role model in the community. He was a human being', it adds.
Singer Keys said: 'If anybody saw that horrifying video of his killing, it is heartbreaking, unbelievably unacceptable and inhumane.'
The Players Coalition and dozens of professional athletes also sent a letter Friday to Attorney General William Barr and FBI Director Christopher Wray requesting an immediate federal investigation into Arbery's death.
It was signed by stars including Tom Brady, Steve Kerr and Players Coalition co-founders Anquan Boldin and Malcolm Jenkins.
The letter requested that the FBI and the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division lead the investigation into the shooting of Arbery.
It was also sent to Eric Dreiband, assistant attorney general for the civil rights division.
LeBron James wrote on Twitter: 'We're literally hunted EVERYDAY/EVERYTIME we step foot outside the comfort of our homes! Can't even go for a damn jog man!'
Fellow NBA star Stephen Curry wrote on Instagram: 'AHMAUD ARBERY. Sickening what's STILL happening out here. Don't watch the video. Respect this man and his family. Remember the name.'
Gregory McMichael, left, and his son Travis McMichael. The two have been charged with murder in the February shooting death of Ahmaud Arbery, whom they had pursued in a truck after spotting him running in their neighborhood
The cell phone footage of Arbery's shooting was taken by William 'Roddie' Bryan (pictured). His attorney has insisted he is 'not a vigilante' and was simply trying to document what was going on
Arbery was fatally shot on Febraury 23 in Brunswick but no charges were brought for more than two months.
National outrage over the case swelled last week after video surfaced that appeared to show the shooting.
Shortly after the video's leak, Gregory McMichael, 64, and his son Travis McMichael, 34, were arrested and charged with murder and aggravated assault.
The father and son said they thought Arbery matched the appearance of a burglary suspect who they said had been recorded on a surveillance camera some time before.
Arbery´s mother, Wanda Cooper Jones, has said she thinks her 25-year-old son, a former high school football player, was just jogging in the neighborhood before he was killed.
'If anybody saw that horrifying video of his killing, it is heartbreaking, unbelievably unacceptable and inhumane,' singer Alicia Keys said in a statement to The Associated Press.
'No human being should be murdered and not receive justice. I have black sons and they should be able to go on a jog or anywhere they want without the risk of being killed.'
Shocking cellphone video captured the moment the McMichaels confronted Arbery in the street. In the footage Travis is seen engaging in a physical fight with Arbery before shooting him with a shotgun
The new video, which appears to have been captured by a home security camera near the scene of the shooting, shows a man believed to be Arbery walking down a street before walking into the garage of a property under construction
On Saturday the Georgia Bureau of Investigation confirmed it is investigating additional video footage in the case.
The new video, which appears to have been taken by a home security camera shortly before the shooting, shows a man believed to be Arbery entering into the garage of a property under construction.
The clip, obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, shows the man at the construction site for less than five minutes before he appears to leave via the front door with nothing.
Police say the McMichaels claim to have followed Arbery in their pick-up truck because they believed he was a burglary suspect.
But while the new video could complicate the narrative that Arbery was simply out jogging in the neighborhood, prosecutor Manny Arora told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that entry onto a construction site is not necessarily a crime if nothing is stolen.
Arbery's family lawyer, Lee Merritt, told CNN that that incident would be classified as 'trespassing at most'.
'He was my baby boy that I had on Mother's Day of 1994. He was his sister and brother's keeper... his spirit was good. He was a yes ma'am and no ma'am type of fellow': Arbery is pictured at right with his mom Wanda Jones
Arbery's dad Marcus, pictured, on Saturday said his son was 'hunted like an animal'
Meanwhile, heavily-armed protesters from the Black Panther Party, 'I Fight For My People', and 'My Vote is Hip Hop' gathered Saturday to demonstrate in the Satilla Shores neighborhood near where Arbery was killed.
A vigil was also held Saturday in Sidney Lanier Park in Brunswick, a day after what would have been Arbery's 26th birthday. It was attended by friends and family including Arbery's mother and sister and featured live music, a balloon release and memories of Arbery.
On Thursday, Gregory and Travis McMichael were charged with murder over the death of Arbery - less than three days after cell phone footage showing the incident went viral on social media.
The video showed the McMichaels trailing Arbery before they stopped and became embroiled in an altercation with him. He was then fatally shot by Travis McMichael.
The cell phone footage was taken by William 'Roddie' Bryan, a neighbor of the McMichaels.
Director of the GBI Vic Reynolds said Friday that Bryan could also be arrested for his part in the murder after he watched and shot the footage of the attack.
A rally to protest the shooting of unarmed black man, Ahmaud Arbery, on Friday in Brunswick Ga. Two men have been charged with murder in the February shooting death of Ahmaud Arbery, whom they had pursued in a truck after spotting him running in their neighborhood
Crowds of people gathered in Brunswick to honor the life of Arbery on Saturday
Members of the Black Panther Party, 'I Fight For My People', and 'My Vote is Hip Hop' demonstrate in the Satilla Shores neighborhood on Saturday
On Friday, it was revealed that Bryan's footage of the attack was actually leaked to the media by a friend of the McMichaels - who though it would clear them of any crime.
Attorney Alan Tucker told Inside Edition Friday that he was responsible for releasing the footage, which showed the McMichaels engaged in a fatal altercation with Arbery in Brunswick on February 23.
'I really thought releasing the video would put the truth out to the public,' Tucker stated.
'If he [Arbery] had just froze and hadn't done anything, then he wouldn't have been shot.'
However after the video was uploaded to the internet Tuesday it quickly went viral and sparked nationwide outrage. Presumptive Democratic nominee for President Joe Biden said it showed the McMichaels killing Aubrey 'in cold blood'.
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